BC Hydro customers to get 3 months bill relief | ICBC providing Autoplan payment deferral

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BC Hydro customers to get 3 months bill relief

For residential customers

If you or your spouse/partner have lost employment or have become unable to work due to COVID-19, you may be eligible for three months of bill credit based on your average consumption.

To be eligible for the COVID-19 Relief Fund for residential customers:

  • You need to be a residential account holder and have had your account prior to March 15, 2020

  • You need to meet the eligibility criteria of the B.C.Emergency Benefit for Workers

  • You or your spouse/partner have lost your job or have become unable to work (including self-employment) since March 15, 2020. Examples of being unable to work:

    • Being quarantined or sick with COVID-19

    • Taking care of a family member who is sick with COVID-19

    • Having children who require care or supervision due to school or daycare closures

  • You must be able to upload verification of eligibility, such as a copy of your application or approval for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, Emergency Benefit for Workers, federal Employment Insurance or Record of Employment

There is a maximum of one COVID Relief Fund bill credit per household.

BC Hydro COVID-19 Relief Fund for Residential

For small businesses

If you own a small business that needed to close due to COVID-19, you may be eligible to have your business’ electricity use charges waived for up to three months.

BC Hydro COVID-19 Relief Fund for Residential

Application form to open the week of April 13

The application is not open yet, but we expect it to open the week of April 6. Once it opens, there is no rush to apply. Eligible business customers can apply any time before June 30, 2020 to have their business’ bills waived for April, May and June.

ICBC providing Autoplan payment deferral

For customers that have been financially impacted by COVID-19, ICBC will provide some relief during this challenging time. Customers on a monthly Autoplan payment plan, who are facing financial challenges due to COVID-19, can defer their payment for up to 90 days with no penalty. Payment deferral is also available for fleets.

Apply for ICBC payment plan deferral

Do I Qualify for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit & EI?

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To help Canadians through this difficult time, the Federal Government created the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and made changes to the Employment Insurance Program (EI). For those whose employment has affected by the Coronavirus, we have created a chart to help you figure out which program you qualify for and provide links to apply for each program.

The Federal Government has already made numerous changes to these programs so we will be updating this document whenever a change to the program is made.

Stay home and stay safe.

Help for Small/Medium Businesses & Entrepreneurs – 75% wage subsidy, $40,000 interest-free loan & more

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March 27, 2019 – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced programs and measures focused on helping Small & Medium Sized Businesses and Entrepreneurs cope with the economic consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“With these new measures, our hope is that employers being pushed to laying off people due to COVID-19 will think again,” Trudeau said. “And for those of you who have already had to lay off workers, we hope you will re-hire them.”

Wage Subsidy increased to 75%

The Prime Minister has been under pressure from the small business community to boost the wage subsidy beyond the 10% initially announced to help keep people employed. Today, Mr. Trudeau announced the government will increase the wage subsidy from 10% to 75% to help keep employees on the payroll. This increase will be backdated to Sunday, March 15th.

“It is clear we have to do more, much more so we are bringing that percentage up to 75 per cent for qualifying businesses”

– Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA)

The CEBA will allow banks to offer $40,000 loans that will be interest-free for the 1st year which will be guaranteed by the government. If you meet certain conditions, $10,000 of the loan can be forgivable.

“To help you bridge to better times, we are launching the Canada Emergency Business Account. With this new measure banks will soon offer $40,000 which will be guaranteed by the government”

Defer GST, HST, Duty

The government will defer GST & HST payments, as well as duty and taxes owed on imports until June 2020.

“This is the equivalent of giving $30-billion of interest free loans to businesses”

Bank of Canada Rate Cut

Bank of Canada slashed its key overnight interest rate to 0.25%.

Full details and qualification requirements will be available on Monday.